White House says Turkish sanctions ‘regrettable’

The White House said Wednesday that Turkey’s tariff hikes on US products in retaliation for sanctions against Ankara were “regrettable” and again called for the immediate release of American pastor Andrew Brunson.

“The tariffs from Turkey are certainly regrettable and a step in the wrong direction,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said, while stopping short of announcing fresh retaliatory measures.

The White House defended a slew of tariffs and sanctions that have substantially weakened Turkey’s currency and forced regulators to take steps to curb financial flows out of the country.